The Answer to Our Life
by DarkHououmon
Summary: A pretty short AU story. The death of a beloved person changes the lives of Jackie...forever.


What if......Uncle had dropped the Dog Talisman before Hak Foo struck him? What happened if he hadn't made it? This is an AU story.  
  
  
The Answer to Our Life  
  
  
  
  
  
Jackie just stared at the scene. Blood was everywhere. Jackie and Jade looked on in the horror of what happened. Uncle, with the Dog Talisman, have been fighting Hak Foo. Even though Uncle had more experience, he was no match for Hak Foo's final blow. "Elephant...FIST!" The hand smacked the old man right in the face, and before he knew it, he slammed through the wall. The bricks came tumbling down, and the Dog Talisman lay on the ground a couple feet from the pile, broken.  
  
"No!" Jackie rushed over to the pile of bricks. Jade was not far behind him. The pile of bricks lay before them, and they started to dig, and Jade was horrified by all the blood that was coming out and onto the ground. "Come on! Dig!" The man yelled gently, and the 11 year-old obeyed, picking up the bricks and tossing them aside. Jackie and Jade kept on digging until they could see a face...Uncle.  
  
  
You see me sitting here,   
A smile upon my face,   
The time has come   
But you know that it's not too late   
  
There's been too many things,   
Together we have seen   
It's not that hard   
If we start to believe   
  
"Uncle! Wake up!" Jackie screamed. Hak Foo was standing right behind them, but he didn't care. The red-haired fighter just smirked, and said, "Your talisman hunting days are over." With that, he grabbed the Dog Talisman, and disappeared. Jackie Chan glared at Hak Foo, then turned his attention back at his battered Uncle. Eyes full of tears, Jade was shaking Uncle. "Wake up..." She whispered under her breath.  
  
Looking down, he knew...that his Uncle was gone. He placed a shaking hand on Jade's shoulder, then, quivering, lifted up the old man's arm. He placed his finger on Uncle's wrist, feeling for a pulse. Jackie's eyes widened, and he dropped the arm. His face paled. Jade looked up and saw this. "Uncle Jackie? Is he...?" Fighting to hold back a sob, Jackie shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry." Jade stared, shocked, at Jackie. Then more tears came and she screamed, "NO!!!" She started to sob harder, and Jackie could no longer fight the sobs overwhelming him, and he broke down, too.  
  
  
And we're not gonna take any more,   
Can we try to erase all the pain?   
  
So please,   
Show me a reason,   
Give me a sign,   
Tell me the way we   
Fall out of line,   
Is it today or is it tonight   
We'll find   
The answer to our life   
  
"I..just can't...believe it..." Jade whispered, hugging Uncle tightly. Jackie's mind was clouded over with rage. Rage towards Hak Foo...the one who killed his Uncle. "Raaa!!!" The enraged man had slammed his fist into the concrete ground, bruising his knuckles in the process.  
  
Jade let out a depressed sigh, and asked, "What are we going to do now?" Jackie stopped thinking and stared down at his niece, his only known relative still alive in America. "You stay here," he handed her a cellphone, "and call Caption Black." "Why" "Inform him where we are....in the meantime, I'll take care of Hak Foo."  
  
  
This world is not at ease,   
We seem to hide the truth   
Thinkin' there's only   
So much we can really do   
  
It's up to you and me,   
To face our destiny,   
The journey's here   
So let's take a stand   
  
_4 Months Later...._  
  
Thanks to Jackie, Hak Foo was arrested for murder. Later on after the arrest, Tohru decided to join Jackie, figuring if he couldn't beat him, join him. Jackie Chan may have avenged Uncle's death, but the loss of the wise-cracking old man had devastated Jackie and Jade deeply. Tohru had mourned for the old man, but he didn't know him as long as Jade and Jackie had. Uncle's shop wasn't empty; Jackie Chan had taken a part-time job in there, but left the main duty to Tohru.  
  
And we're not gonna take any more,   
Can we try to erase all the pain?   
  
So please,   
Show me a reason,   
Give me a sign,   
Tell me the way we   
Fall out of line   
Is it today or is it tonight   
We'll find   
The answer to our life   
  
Jackie had collected all the talismans, and though the fight with Shendu was a long and tough one, he managed to defeat the dark demon. "Things won't be the same around here." Jade had said after the victory. He knew she was right. Uncle was gone forever. They won't hear him say 'One more thing' or anything ever again. Jackie sat at Uncle's desk, a magic book open. "The demon portals are our next task now." Jade 'destroyed' Shendu against Jackie's will, and now demons were starting to appear all over the place. He was reading up on how to defeat them. After Uncle's death, he was studying magic everyday.  
  
He wasn't alone. Tohru, Captain Black, and Jade were also studying. After seeing magic firsthand, Captain Black was obsessed with magic, and always carried a magic book with him, even to bed. Jackie closed the book. "The Earth Demon is next. Better get some flowers and female sheep hair." He got up, and walked out to the main room. Tohru was there, polishing the antiques. Jade was still in a depressed mood. She still hadn't recovered from the loss. She had out a school book and was reading about the life cycle.  
  
So tell me why we have to cry,   
When there's so many things we can do   
To help this troubled   
World start anew   
  
I need a reason,   
I need a sign,   
There's no turning back   
I'm here by your side   
Is it today or maybe tonight   
We'll find   
The answer to our life   
  
Jackie cautiously walked towards his niece. He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Jade?" The small girl looked up at him. It was clear that she had been crying all night. Her eyes were red and tear stains were visible on her cheeks. Jackie had mourned nonstop 'till about 6 weeks ago. "You miss Uncle, don't you?" He asked, knowing already that Jade was going to answer that as a yes. She wiped away a tear that was forming.  
  
"I understand." Jackie Chan did not know what to do. Jade had already missed nearly 13 days of school due to depression. She couldn't afford another absense. But she was so down, that she couldn't even concetrate on her work. He then got an idea, and picked up Jade. "Let me show you something." "Where are we going?" "You'll see." With that, the two headed up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms. The room they went in used to be Uncle's, but was now Jackie's.   
  
Show me the way,   
Give me a sign,   
Tell me the way we   
Fall out of line   
Is it today,   
Is it tonight,   
The answer to our life   
  
Show me a reason,   
Give me a sign,   
Tell me the way we   
Fall out of line   
Is it today or is it tonight   
We'll find   
The answer to our life   
  
Jackie sat Jade down on the bed, and picked up a picture. It was of him when he was a little boy. A younger Uncle was also featured on it. In the picture, Jackie seemed to be crying, and Uncle was trying to comfort him. Jade stared at the picture, astonished. She held the picture, and asked Jackie what was happening. "That was taken when my greatgrandmother died. I didn't recover for a year." "Really?"  
  
"Yep. Uncle was comforting me, and like I did now, he also shown a picture to me. Life goes on, Jade." Jade nodded, and placed the picture back into the drawer that Jackie Chan had pulled it form. Without saying a word, she left the room and into her own room, which was down the hall. She sat on her bed, and started to doodle. She whispered, "I love you, Uncle". She put away her pen and paper, and dozed off. Jackie came in, smiled, and closed the door.  
  
A knock came at the downstares door. Jackie opened it up, and was literally shocked by who it was. "Viper?" The woman smiled. "Hello, Jackie."  
  
  
Show me a reason,   
Give me a sign,   
Tell me the way we   
Fall out of line   
Is it today or is it tonight   
We'll find   
The answer to our life


End file.
